[goandude]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Well, you can still deviate left at Jalahalli Cross, touch BEL Circle and then turn right at Kuvempu Circle onto New BEL Road and continue towards Sadashivnagar Traffic Police Station signal and finally take a left there towards Mekhri Circle and then its your usual road to CV Raman Nagar. Traffic in that direction (at least till Sadashivnagar TPS) wont be that thick during this time and hence, instead of that frustrating Jam all the way till Yeshwantpur, you can move in traffic faster and is a better bet.

you mean like this 14 km Tumkur Rd/NH 4 to Mekhri Circle - Google Maps

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by goandude

you mean like this 14 km Tumkur Rd/NH 4 to Mekhri Circle - Google Maps

Yes but from BEL Circle you may want to continue straight towards Mathikere (MS Ramaiah Road) and hit CV Raman Road to reach Mekhri Circle.


Another option would be to take the Watch Factory Road (About .75 Km further to Jalahalli Cross Signal towards Yeshwanpur) and reach BEL Circle and follow the same route to Mehkri Circle. This is a shorter option when compared.

Unknown road to Outer Ring Rd - Google Maps

Of course, a simple left turn on ORR from Goreguntelpalya junction will take you to BEL but traffic here due to frequent closure of Railway gates has been horrible. Just yesterday, I was returning by a BMTC bus after giving my car for service at a MASS and to cover a distance of mere 3 Kms it took 45 mins.

[netarchie]

I did a mumbai-b'lore -mumbai trip last week, clocked some excellent timings on my return journey.

Started 6:15 A.M in the morning from Navi Mumbai and reached B'lore (Basavangudi, NR colony) at 9:30 P.M. I had reached the Nelmangala toll at about 7:30 p.m then afterwards from there it took almost 2 hours to reach the destination.

While returning back, I took the mysore road to exit B'lore city to tumkur road, From there (Tumkur) road I could cover the distance to my place in Navi Mumbai in about 10.5 hours. Last time while returning I had taken the one from Magadi road, this time I joined the Nice road a little further from Magadi (towards housr side). I used the gps for this route.

Stared from NR Colony at around 1 P.M. and reached home at 2:00 A.M night with 2 hours stopage in between.

Excellent road condition all the way. Only bottle neck being the 2 railway crossing near haveri.

Attaching a snapshot of my return trip to navi Mumbai from B'lore.

Fig 1 - NR Colony till Nice Road Junction
Fig 2 - Place where I joined Nice road till my place in Navi Mumbai

[goandude]

Netarchie very good timings. 13 hrs going and 10.5 return is very good. What car and what speeds were you doing? did you drive non stop? What are the two pics of?

Am planning a drive on 17 from Mumbai to Bangy. Unfortunately leaving from south mumbai so another hour of travel.

[prince_pervez]

Originally Posted by goandude

Netarchie very good timings. 13 hrs going and 10.5 return is very good.

These are excellent timings. Ohh, so got the Mumbai Veyron.

[scrooze]

Planning to travel from Mumbai to Bangalore in May 2011 (I know still a long time to go). I need to be in Bangalore by 30th May Mid night. So thinking to make it a one week trip from 28th May to 5th June. Trip will be to cover some good places and no target to reach Bangalore in 10-14 hrs

Rought plan and still lot of details to put:

1) Leave Mumbai on 28th
2) Need to decide what to do on 28th, 29th and 30th (Had been to Goa and Mahabaleshwar 2 good destinations on the way). So suggestions how can we utlize these 3 days and also make progress towards Bangalore.
3) Reach Bangalore 30th mid night. 31st in Bangalore.
4) 1st June Bangalore to Mysore
5) 2nd June travel to coorge and stay overnight for 3rd June also
6) 4th June leave coorge and reach Bangalore
7) 5th June leave Bangalore early morning and reach Mumbai by late evening.

If all the fellow members can help me:

1) What are the options for 28th, 29th and 30th May so that can reach Bangalore by 30th mid night?
2) Do the above look reasonalbe or do i need to cut short any location or can add other places (Will be travelling with my 2 year old daughter)?
3) How will be the wheather?
4) Any important point which i may have missed

PS: I know long way to go and rough plane is in very intital stages will keep the same updated after receving suggestions.

[netarchie]

Originally Posted by goandude

Netarchie very good timings. 13 hrs going and 10.5 return is very good. What car and what speeds were you doing? did you drive non stop? What are the two pics of?

Am planning a drive on 17 from Mumbai to Bangy. Unfortunately leaving from south mumbai so another hour of travel.

The car was ANHC. The roads upto Hubli were quite traffic less that day. Till Haveri I was averaging 100 km/hr, clould cover 300 kms in 3 hours. Speeds were around 120 - 140.

I could enjoy my car to the max that day :-).

The pics are from the trip computer software installed on my carpc.

I suggest, if possible to travel at night to avoid traffic at tolls ect. Roads are excellent all the way.

[paragsachania]

I am back from an almost 3000 Kms trip that included Bangalore-Pune-Aurangabad on the same day I started on 9th, Aurangabad-Pune on the 11th, Pune-Mumbai on the 12th and Mumbai-Pune-Bangalore on yesterday (13th)

The reason that most of the recent posts mention on the timings is more so due to the improving road conditions, especially the Haveri-Chitradurga stretch. Its getting better and better. Second reason being the absence of mine trucks which earlier used to create a mess on the bad sections.

While BLR-Pune happened in 13.5 Hours with atleast 3 hours break due to my 9 month old daughter and the related chores, I continued from Katraj till Nagar Road via Kharadi bypass and then took another 4 hours to reach Aurangabad and with an hour's break for dinner in between.

On my return, I left Chembur (Mumbai) at 10am and was in Pune (Parvati area) at 12pm and then I left for Bangalore at 2pm after lunch and I could reach my north Bangalore home at 2am with 3 hours of break (again for our daughter). Hence, essentially the actual driving time was just 9+2=11 Hours and that too in my WagonR between Mumbai and Bangalore.

Traffic till Kolhapur was moderate as expected but thinned down completely after Kagal checkpost all the way till Chitradurga. A decent 110kmph mostly and occasional 120kmph was good enough this time.

Exactly a month before, I had taken 14 hours with similar breaks in an ANHC both ways.

Honestly, maintaining 100-120kmph can make you do this 850kms stretch in under 10 hours with quick breaks (if not accompanied by family and kids).

And I completely agree with netarchie on the advise to travel nights if time is the factor. I still remember starting from Pune at 10PM and being in Bangalore at 9-00AM with speeds as less as 90kmph. No all night drives anymore for me as I am a Daddy now and was expecting to be one when I did those night trips for almost 6 months over every alternate weekend. The best part of doing this was the sensible truck traffic and zero local traffic.

The Good and the Bad bits:

Good things first-

• The road after a few Kms from Bankapura toll towards Bangalore is fully done (this includes marking and fixing of reflectors) all the way till one deviates for the first Railway crossing.
• Again, once you are back on the 4 laned (under construction) section, the road is almost done with 80% work done for markings and reflectors.
• There will now be 2 additional toll booths between Chitradurga and Bankapura that should start functioning very soon.
• Work on the first Railway crossing towards Bangalore (Haveri) has progresed faster and now the elevated road over the ramp is almost done and I could also see the concrete sections ready to be placed over the Railway tracks.

The Bad bits:

• Work on the Ranebennur side ROB is not as faster as the Haveri one.
• It now seems very likely that the Speedbreakers placed near Bhramhasagara is going to be a permanent affair since the signboards aren't that typical Red letters with a white background over a metal sheet but a properly placed pole with reflective sticker/pain in yellow warning about the speedbreakers. A shameful situation that we have speedbreakers only in the KA section of this NH4 (Bhramhasagara & Kittur).

(MX6, we missed meeting again this time)

[MX6]

Parag. That's a lot of driving you did and kudos to you. But a gentle request here is not to keep in mind the fatigue factor. Fatigue factor is something which will hit all of a sudden.
Next time you drive to Ahmednagar, you are better off driving down to Swargate (take the new katraj tunnel and sinhagad road) and then take Shankarsheth road - NH9 - Magarpatta - Nagar road. That would be quicker than old katraj tunnel / ghat and the lousy katraj to hadapsar road which is a big big bottle neck.

We shall catch up sometime soon. I was very interested in checking the DIYs in your vehicle (especially the arm-rest). I will order the 5 incher mostly.

[prince_pervez]

Hitting Swargate and beyond from Katraj is still hectic. What I usually do to hit Nagar road with minimal traffic is: Once you are done from Katraj tunnel and proceeding towards Swargate, there is a right hand turn (slope) towards Kondhwa, before the left hand turn towards kothrud highway. Ask for this right hand turn to the people and voila you will be in Kondhwa in no time. Take the right turn from Lulla Nagar chowk to bypass Camp or reach Hadpasar road from there and take Magarpatta to Nagar road. This will Bypass Swargate, Camp, Pune Station, Yerwada, Viman Nagar, Chandannagar and land you in Kharadi.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by MX6

Parag. That's a lot of driving you did and kudos to you. But a gentle request here is not to keep in mind the fatigue factor. Fatigue factor is something which will hit all of a sudden.
Next time you drive to Ahmednagar, you are better off driving down to Swargate (take the new katraj tunnel and sinhagad road) and then take Shankarsheth road - NH9 - Magarpatta - Nagar road. That would be quicker than old katraj tunnel / ghat and the lousy katraj to hadapsar road which is a big big bottle neck.

We shall catch up sometime soon. I was very interested in checking the DIYs in your vehicle (especially the arm-rest). I will order the 5 incher mostly.

Thanks Mani. Actually I did take the same route as you have mentioned. New tunnel, deviate right towards Katraj signal near that bus depot, Swargate signal, Shankarseth Rd, Camp, Hadapsar via race course, Kharadi bypass via Magarpatta to hit Nagar road. I still for badly stuck right after Katraj Bus depot signal all the way till Nagar road. To add to that, there was a massive jam for a deviation to magarpatta from Hadapsar side.
At any cost I wanted to be in Aurangabad the same day since I was sure that my daughter would be very uncomfortable with so many guests in Pune home and as well loose her sleep.
I will mostly thank my wife who showed the courage to sit all the way till Aurangabad from Bangalore via Pune's peak traffic. Secondly our daughter this time fully co-operated for her eating breaks and slept cozily in her car seat all the way.
I shall PM more details of the handrest tomorrow.

Pervez bhai, The route you mentioned is actually worth a try and I can guess easily for lesser traffic on this route.

[MX6]

Not towards Katraj Bus depot. Go straight on NH4 till you get off at Sinhagad road. That is better.
And then Swargate. If you want to avoid Magarpatta, then from Shankarsheth road, hit camp area, cross over to Taj hotel, go straight and join Nagar road there. I shall mail you a detailed map later. Here's a map on a high level for you to follow next time.


No point in taking satara road from Katraj to swargate. It's a mess. The advantage with SInhagad road is that there's no dedicated BRTS lane. So you can overtake other slow moving vehicles easily.

And nowadays Kondhwa is as congested as any other place. Lulla nagar chowk is really terrible during peak hours. And it can get confusing to new people. What you gain by Kondhwa route, you lose in the old katraj tunnel and ghat section.

[prince_pervez]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Pervez bhai, The route you mentioned is actually worth a try and I can guess easily for lesser traffic on this route.

Sure is! I travelled twice once early morning and dead afternoons (2-3 PM) and you know how Punekars love their afternoon naps. And yes this was on weekends.

[goandude]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

I am back from an almost 3000 Kms trip that included Bangalore-Pune-Aurangabad on the same day I started on 9th, Aurangabad-Pune on the 11th, Pune-Mumbai on the 12th and Mumbai-Pune-Bangalore on yesterday (13th) Thats one hell of a lot of driving. If you were a pilot you would be grounded

The reason that most of the recent posts mention on the timings is more so due to the improving road conditions, especially the Haveri-Chitradurga stretch. Its getting better and better. Good news

On my return, I left Chembur (Mumbai) at 10am and was in Pune (Parvati area) at 12pm and then I left for Bangalore at 2pm after lunch and I could reach my north Bangalore home at 2am with 3 hours of break (again for our daughter). Hence, essentially the actual driving time was just 9+2=11 Hours and that too in my WagonR between Mumbai and Bangalore. Awsome timing there

Honestly, maintaining 100-120kmph can make you do this 850kms stretch in under 10 hours with quick breaks (if not accompanied by family and kids).

The Good and the Bad bits:

Good things first-

• The road after a few Kms from Bankapura toll towards Bangalore is fully done (this includes marking and fixing of reflectors) all the way till one deviates for the first Railway crossing.
• Again, once you are back on the 4 laned (under construction) section, the road is almost done with 80% work done for markings and reflectors.
• There will now be 2 additional toll booths between Chitradurga and Bankapura that should start functioning very soon. This should be in the bad part
• Work on the first Railway crossing towards Bangalore (Haveri) has progresed faster and now the elevated road over the ramp is almost done and I could also see the concrete sections ready to be placed over the Railway tracks.

Comments in bold.

Thanks Parag for this info. I was planning an overnight stay at C'durga, but your post has made wify see the advantages of a one day Mumbai B'lore trip. Esp the fact you were on a wagon R and had a small child.
Drive safe.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by goandude

[/list]Comments in bold.

Thanks Parag for this info. I was planning an overnight stay at C'durga, but your post has made wify see the advantages of a one day Mumbai B'lore trip. Esp the fact you were on a wagon R and had a small child.
Drive safe.

Thanks dude!

Well, To me, driving any other car has not made a significant difference and neither would it make unless one is ripping the car all the way from start till the end. With a steady speed one will still be averaging the same distance as compared to driving faster and slowing down for sudden situation and starting all over again.

I always preferred driving faster yet safer without panic braking or sudden acceleration owing to the fact that my daugther was in her car seat and was sleeping most of the times. For this, 100-110kmph was the most ideal speed.

Last time I did it on an ANHC, I did clock 140kmph many a times but then settled at 100kmph that eventually is the best speed for a single driver doing such a long stretch to avoid fatigue and restelssness.

In my WagonR, I preferred maintaining a steady 110kmph (and 120kmph as well) and ensured that I was a little faster on the better stretches between Hubli Exit and Kagal. Our idea was to keep driving when the baby was sleeping and stop whenever she woke up and was hungry.

Mumbai-Bangalore in a single stretch is easily doable and especially on weekdays due to less traffic. To me, doing Pune-Aurangabad (almost 250kms) on the same day after driving from Bangalore to Pune was one of the most challenging tasks but that eventually turned out to be a cakewalk since traffic (especially the 2 wheelers and rickshaws ) was lesser post 8pm between Pune exit and Ahmednagar and thinned even more when I reached Aurangabad.